The Karpas Peninsula: the Wild Side of North Cyprus

The Karpas Peninsula is a pan-handle of land, jutting out from the top east corner of North Cyprus, pointing towards mainland Turkey. It's also a world apart from the rest of North Cyprus with its five star hotels and elegant holiday villas for rent. Winding roads snake amongst olive groves and fields of tobacco, dirt tracks lead down to secluded coves and hidden beaches, and bad-tempered wild donkeys amble along the roads oblivious to tour bus and your North Cyprus hire car alike!

Thanks to underground water sources, the Karpas Peninsula stays green long after the rest of the countryside is baked brown, and driving into this unspoiled landscape is easy along a modern road completed in 1998.

Karpas Peninsula Beaches, North Cyprus

You can choose from over 45 golden-sanded beaches to make your base for the day, and pretty much guaranteed you'll have most of it to yourself. The most magnificent beach of all is Golden Sands, which stretches for miles along the south coast, backed by high dunes and looking out over the sweep of Famagusta Bay.

Make sure you leave enough time to drive to the Karpaz beaches from your North Cyprus holiday apartment or villa, as Golden Beach is one hour's drive from Bogaz, and just under three hours from Kyrenia.

North Cyprus: Karpas Peninsula Must-See Sights

The Karpas Peninsula is dotted with fascinating historic sites and ancient ruins, just waiting to be discovered during villa holidays in Northern Cyprus. Follow in the footsteps of St Andrew to the very end of the peninsula to the Apostolos Andreas Monastery, where the saint created a spring with healing waters. Admire the stunning artwork at the Icon Museum at Isklel, or wonder just why the 5th century Ayia Trias Bazilica was built to serve such a small settlement nearby. At Aphendrika you step even further back in time and walk beside an ancient Greek harbour, past rock tombs, over an ancient temple and towards three early churches.